Functionalism Flashcards
role of value consensus in preventing crime
form of social control through socialisation
why is crime inevitable?
not all equally socialised and diversity of lifestyles
tendency in modern societies towards anomie (greater diversity leads to a weakening of rules which govern behaviour)
Positive functions of crime (give examples)
boundary maintenance and adaptation/change
safety valve - Polsky’s prostitution
Cohen - deviance as a warning signal
Merton’s theory
Structural factors - society’s unequal opportunity structure
Cultural factors - strong emphasis on success goals (weaker emphasis on legitimate means)
strain between goals and means (legitimate ways e.g. hard work for legitimate goals e.g. wealth)
US Dream – pursue legitimately but reality is disadvantaged (worse by success at any means)
Adaptations – conformity, rebellion, ritualism
Recent strain theories
young pursue other goals than money (institutional anomie theory – school)
Cohen
• Subcultural strain theory – alternative opportunity structure
• Cohen – status frustration (WC face anomie in MC education) and gain status through deviance
explains non - utilitarian
Cloward and Ohlin
• Cloward and Ohlin – not all turn to innovation (unequal access to illegitimate opportunity structure)
• 3 types of deviant subculture
1. Criminal - apprenticeship in crime
2. Conflict - loose gangs in areas of high population turnover
3. Retreatist - double failing drug abusers
Evaluation
crime never promotes solidarity, assumes value consensus, draws lines between types of subcultures too much
Beliefs about society
society as a system of interrelated and interdependent units held together by a shared value consensus
two societal mechanisms - socialisation and social control
Evaluation - Merton
explains patterns of crime - WC and property crime highest
fails to explain non - utilitarian crime and group deviance
Evaluation - Cohen
Assumes WC have same goals (FATEST)
Evaluation - Cloward and Ohlin
ignores wider power structure
